


An Army of Wildflowers

by Jessifer28



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Camping, Crowley Has Chronic Pain (Good Omens), Hurt Crowley, Ineffable Idiots (Good Omens), M/M, Marijuana, Mutual Pining, No beta we fall like Crowley, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:34:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22191127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessifer28/pseuds/Jessifer28
Summary: Anthony J. Crowley and Ezra Fell have spent every summer at Camp Katahdin since they were seven years old. Now, they're twenty-two, fresh out of college, and ready for their final summer. Follow the two counselors as they navigate their pasts (as best friends), their families (who also happen to be their bosses, camp is a family business), their counselors in training (Newt and Anathema), and, of course, their campers (the Them plus Warlock, who else).
Relationships: Anathema Device/Newton Pulsifer, Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36
Collections: Good Omens Human AUs





	1. CHAPTER ONE

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I've been an avid consumer of fanfiction since I was approximately eleven years old aka twelve years ago, but I've never posted anything. However, in the past few weeks (since the start of winter break from law school, God help me) I've done a deep dive into the Good Omens fandom and subsequently felt inspired to write and post this silly little AU. Thus, in a desperate attempt to write about something I have even a shred of experience with, Crowley and Aziraphale go to and work at a summer camp. 
> 
> This will jump around a little in terms of time, but there is a main (slow burn, of course) narrative at work. I'll try my best to post consistently but I'm at the mercy of law school so it won't be as often as I'd prefer. Let me know what y'all think and please enjoy!
> 
> Also, the title comes from the song "Constantly" by Maya De Vitry.

CHAPTER ONE

The Sixteenth Summer (Present Day)

Anthony J. Crowley scowled at his reflection as he ran fingers through his untidy but slightly-tidier-than-usual red hair, letting the gentle waves come to their resting spot at his collarbone. Why the camp shirts had to be white every year he would never know. He had, in fact, been wondering and complaining about it since he first came to Camp Katahdin at the tender age of seven. With a final huff he slid on his latest pair of sunglasses and headed out into the heat and chaos of welcoming day.

It took only minimal wandering for Crowley to locate his co-counselor, Ezra Fell. Ezra was speaking animatedly with a group of parents and young children, gesturing wildly to the lakefront and the adjacent forest in between sips of iced tea. Crowley paused for a moment to drink in the sight of his best friend. Due to some lingering commitments at school, Ezra hadn’t arrived until that morning and Crowley, between finishing readying their cabin on his own and reviewing the last-minute paperwork about his campers, had yet to see the other man.

Crowley only had to walk so close before his raised eyebrow caught Ezra’s attention. Ezra perked up immediately and, after a kind-but-flimsy excuse to those he was conversing with, made quick work of the distance between him and Crowley, pulling the slim man into a tight hug.

“Crowley, it is so good to see you!” Ezra exclaimed with a wide grin.

“Oh, shut up, it’s good to see you, too, angel,” Crowley replied with a crooked smile of his own.

“I’m terribly sorry I haven’t been by the cabin yet. I had to speak with Gabriel early, as soon as I got here, and then I got waylaid by Tracy in the mess hall wanting an extra opinion on lunch tomorrow, and then, just as I was about to see you, Ana and Newt—in what I’m sure was a well-intentioned exercise—insisted on discussing water safety protocol and, oh dear, I think Newt took my trunk in an additional attempt to help. In any case, I am so glad to finally be here with you,” Ezra explained breathlessly as he and Crowley walked past the ropes course and climbing wall toward the smattering of lakefront cabins.

“Don’t worry so much,” Crowley replied with a lazy wave, “it’s not like this is my first summer. I managed to get things ready just fine. But, for the record, I’m glad you’re finally here.”

“Well, I’ll be sure to make it up to you somehow,” Ezra said with a gentle smile, knowing all-too-well the many ways Crowley might misuse his favor.

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind, angel,” Crowley remarked with a devilish glance, his eyebrows sharp over the frames of his sunglasses.

“I don’t doubt it dear,” Ezra replied calmly, pulling open the screen door of his and Crowley’s cabin. To his left was the simply appointed bathroom with its customary three shower stalls and two sinks. The cabin’s main room had five sets of bunk beds, and it was clear to Ezra which lower bunk Crowley had claimed as his own.

Ever since they had first come to Katahdin, Crowley and Ezra had shared a bunk. When they were little Crowley had always been desperate for the top bunk, which suited Ezra just fine because, well, the top had seemed a little too dangerous for his taste. Crowley would climb up (he was always, always climbing back then) and hang over the edge to bother Ezra at all hours of the day (usually during the mandatory rest hour) and night. But, after Crowley’s fall he hadn’t been able to make the graceful clamber to the top bunk, so Ezra had taken up the mantle himself. And it had stuck, even if Crowley could manage the climb these days. So that was why, wordlessly, Ezra tossed his backpack onto the bed above Crowley’s and set about unpacking (it appeared that Newt had managed to successfully relocate Ezra’s trunk to the proper cabin, so, it seemed, some miracles were, in fact, possible).

“So,” Crowley began in a lazy drawl as Ezra struggled to tuck his fitted sheet into the bunk’s far corner, “this seems like an opportune time to plan our first day off.”

“Oh Crowley, you go too fast for me. Our kids aren’t even here yet!” Ezra said, tone at the intersection of amused and admonishing.

“Come off it, angel. You’re the one who will want to be prepared. We only get six days off, we have to make them count! Besides, you missed out on all of the staff training opportunities for mischief this year so we’re already behind. Now, be a good angel and let’s get brainstorming,” Crowley said a bit impatiently.

“Fine, fine. I can see there’s no dissuading you,” Ezra said with a halfhearted glare as he finished making up his bed. “Well, we could stick to our usual first-day-off plan of camping at the lake by Eden. It’s nothing original but then again tradition is rather the bedrock of our little summer shenanigans, is it not?

“’Spose you’re right about that bit. Would be good to sleep under the stars, I didn’t get to do enough of that this semester with all of that tedious school business. I’m fairly certain I could drive into town, procure the necessary supplies, and have everything set for our little excursion with relatively little inconvenience. Now, was that really so hard?” Crowley said, talking half to himself and half to Ezra. Ezra sighed good-naturedly at Crowley’s dramatics. He had missed his friend’s flair for all things extra.

“Should we talk business for a moment. Schedules. What are we each supposed to be teaching this year? The usual?” Ezra asked, flopping onto his newly made bed and toeing his shoes off and over the edge.

“Hey! Watch it with those stinky things,” Crowley teased, enjoying the eye-roll Ezra sent over the side of the bunk. “And yes. We’re back to the grind. I’ll be at the rock wall and you’ll be at the ropes course. My how some things simply don’t change.”

“Well, with Gabriel and Bee in charge it’s hardly a shocker. They are stickers for tradition,” Ezra said in an attempt at optimism.

“Yeah, they subscribe to the tradition of being too lazy to teach anyone else how to do our jobs. Don’t look at me like that, angel, you know I’m not wrong,” Crowley said with a smirk.

“Yes, well, even still. It’s not kind to talk about our bosses, who I might remind you are also our family members, in such a way. At the very least not while we are still actively on their payroll, thank you very much,” Ezra said with a chastising glance toward Crowley.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, family business and all that good stuff,” Crowley replied with a dismissive wave, heaving himself upright and wandering into the bathroom. Ezra drank in the few moments of solitude, knowing it was likely to be his last dose of it for quite some time. There was no place on the Earth (he would go so far as to say the universe) that he loved as much as Camp Katahdin. Especially since it was always his and Crowley’s place. They had been coming ever since they first could: the age of seven.

Ezra and Crowley’s families co-owned the camp so as soon as both boys could be full time campers they were rather unceremoniously deposited into their cabin and, despite the rather laissez-faire treatment they received from their families, they became quick friends. Crowley and Ezra did everything together, even though their interests were usually not the most compatible. The year Crowley wanted to learn to skateboard was the same that Ezra dutifully forced himself down the ramps and into the health center with a sprained wrist. When Ezra wanted to learn how to make candles Crowley enthusiastically joined his best friend, the fact that he almost burned down the arts and crafts building at the same time was beside the point. Together they had completed every activity the camp had to offer, with rock climbing and the adjacent ropes course being their shared favorite (the blob on the lake and woodworking had been close contenders). Even after Crowley’s fall and subsequent recovery, there was no swaying their allegiance to the aerial playground.

Ezra’s ruminations were cut short by Crowley’s return to their bunk, his collapse onto his bed jarring the entire piece of furniture.

“Right, all of our kids are coming on the bus as usual, so they should be here in about an hour,” Crowley explained to Ezra from where he was sprawled.

“And it’s our usual five? Adam, Pepper, Wensleydale, Brian, and Warlock, yes?” Ezra asked, leaning over the top bunk and looking for confirmation.

“Yep,” Crowley replied, popping the p as he flung his sunglasses onto his chest and rubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes. “And Ana and Newt will be our CITs this year, but I suppose you know that already.”

“Yes, they confirmed that rumor this morning,” said Ezra, speaking through a yawn.

“So, angel, what kept you at school all this while? Some thesis stuff? After all, graduation was three weeks ago,” Crowley asked, topaz eyes meeting Ezra’s blues.

“Yes. Well. My advisor is hoping to get a portion of my thesis research published so I was attempting to round out the work a bit before I got here,” Ezra described, enthusiasm for his work undeniable.

Ezra and Crowley each attended small liberal arts colleges, Ezra in Massachusetts and Crowley in Vermont. Ezra had been a religion and English double major and was planning on taking a year off to travel and apply to English PhD programs. Meanwhile Crowley had studied Environmental Biology and was hoping to spend the fall backpacking in either Australia or Europe, he was still ironing out the details.

“That’s great news, Angel!” Crowley replied with a crooked smile, rubbing slow circles over his left thigh.

“Yes, well, she seems pretty convinced that it will help with grad school apps. Anything less wouldn’t have kept me from you,” Ezra said with a grin, sliding down from the top bunk and sitting opposite Crowley in the lower bunk.

“It’s good to hear that you have your priorities right,” Crowley replied with a straight face before bursting into a chuckle.

The two friends lazed about, catching up in the way that was only possible in person. They shared their latest drunken mishaps (mostly Crowley but Ezra was no stranger to a party, he would have you know) and graduation gifts (Ezra had gotten a first edition copy of “Leaves of Grass” and Crowley didn’t even need to be reminded that Walt Whitman wrote that one). In any case, they had sufficiently scratched the surface of playing catch-up by the time they rolled out of their cabin and went in search of their favorite, little, now-eleven-year old troublemakers. Crowley and Ezra were finally back home —for the sixteenth summer in a row.


	2. CHAPTER TWO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I'm back with a bit more story. In this chapter we get to meet Crowley and Ezra's campers and sneak a peak at the childhoods of our favorite ineffable idiots. Enjoy!

CHAPTER TWO

The Sixteenth Summer (Present Day)

“A.J.! Ezra!” a voice called, and suddenly Crowley and Ezra were surrounded by a gaggle of eleven-year-olds, each one vying to torment the counselors with some combination of a hug and a tackle.

“Ugh, you lot. You’re getting too big for these greetings. It’s nice to see you, too,” Crowley said with a put-upon grimace, shaking off the skinny limbs that surrounded him.

Meanwhile, Ezra was giving each child a hug, glad for the opportunity to mother his campers once again.

“My you have all grown so much this year. It would have been impossible to picture when you first arrived here,” Ezra said warmly, ruffling Warlock’s hair and smiling at Adam who had manage to clamber onto Ezra’s back to demand a ride.

“Yes, you’ve all grown into being even bigger terrors than you used to be, which, frankly, is saying something considering all of the trouble you’ve gotten into these past four years,” Crowley remarked dryly, leading the troop back toward their cabin, each member of the party balancing their luggage in their wiry arms.

“I knew you missed us, A.J.,” Adam said slyly, falling into step beside Crowley.

“You keep on telling yourself that, kiddo,” Crowley replied, his smirk indicating the truth of Adam’s words.

They chattered along, their pace slow for all of the dropped bags and impromptu wrestling matches. Despite the low level of chaos that radiated from the group, the mutual affection was obvious. Warlock and Adam’s heads were pressed together as they whispered conspiratorially while Pepper looked on with an expression at the intersection of suspicious and delighted. Meanwhile Wensleydale and Brian were peppering Ezra with questions about graduate school and ziplining, respectively, much to the joy of the professorial (but still quite adventurous, thank you very much) young man.

“Alright, you lot!” Crowley called with a lazy yell as he threw open the door of cabin six, waving his arms grandly as the kids fought for their preferred spots. One bunk was reserved for Ana and Newt, who had yet to move in from staff housing, but the rest were up for grabs. “I want to see every bed made, and I mean hospital corners, by the time we go to lunch. Am I clear?”

“Yes A.J.,” the little terrors chorused back, their voices bring a genuine grin to Crowley’s face, sunglasses scrunched above his brows with the ferocity of the expression.

“Oh Crowley, haven’t you missed them?” Ezra asked with a sly whisper. Even with his sunglasses firmly in place, no one could interpret Crowley’s quasi-nonchalant look as anything but an affirmation.

The unpacking proceeded fairly quickly as eleven is still a rather unfussy age. It wasn’t long before the whole troop, finally including Ana and Newt after a mix up about times (never mind that Newt’s shirt was seemingly three sizes too large, they could only handle one mishap at a time), clad in their matching uniforms, marched their way toward the mess hall. It was camp tradition that opening day lunch was a simple spread of hot dogs and hamburgers, eaten lazily as parents and kids continued to trickle on and off the property.

The real festivities began in the evening, with the first camp-wide dinner and the annual initiation ceremony for all of the first-time campers. As much as he might scoff at the trappings of convention, Crowley would be hard-pressed to deny his love of all of the camp traditions. He might even be more invested than Ezra, which was saying something to be sure.

* * *

Flashback: The First Summer (Age 7)

A.J. Crowley was doing an excellent job pretending not to be nervous about this so-called initiation whatever. Ezra Fell was doing a piss poor job pretending not to be nervous about this very serious, oh my goodness it’s actually happening, initiation ceremony. Despite the two boys thinly (or not at all) veiled anxiety, the annual Camp Katahdin team initiation ceremony was about to begin.

Their counselors had explained the tradition in reverent, if a bit hyperbolic, tones. Explaining that the camp had a rich tradition of teamwork and competition. In an attempt to convey the importance of cooperation and compromise the founders of Camp Katahdin had instituted a summer long competition in which one half of all campers were initiated as Angels and the other half as Demons. Throughout the summer there would be daily competitions between the two teams, and all would culminate with a camp-wide relay on the second-to-last day. On the first night of each summer, each first-time camper would be initiated into the ranks of their team.

So, on this fateful night, Crowley and Ezra stood huddled amidst the group of newcomers that lined the beachfront of the lake. Ringed around the lake were the other campers—those that had been initiated in years past. The Angels stood to their left, clad in the blue and white that marked their team color. Each Angel stood with their hands clasped behind their backs, lines of blue paint marking A’s on each camper’s left cheek. To the right stood the Demons, wearing the red and black of their troop. The Demons all had red D’s painted on their right cheeks, and they stood with their arms crossed in front of their chests. The night was silent, and the Angels and Demons were nothing less than terrifying in the stark moonlight of the evening.

Crowley and Ezra were in awe as they took in the sight before them. From across the lake glided two canoes, one blue and one red. In each sat the captain Angel and Demon, respectively. Each captain was clad fully in the colors of their team and each held a torch in front of them, casting an eerie glow across the black waters. The silence remained deafening.

The boys each squirmed a bit nervously as they were ushered into a line while the canoes came ashore.

“Welcome to Camp Katahdin,” the Angel captain, a girl called Michael, spoke solemnly, making eye contact with each member of the group before her.

“You are about to embark on a time-honored tradition that will mark you as a true member of our community,” the Demon captain, a male counselor by the name of Liam, said in a similar tone, eyes unreadable in the dark night. Crowley chanced a glance at his new friend Ezra, perturbed to see the other boy practically shaking with nervousness. He gave Ezra’s hand a quick-but-tight squeeze, doing his best to smile reassuringly when the other boy looked his way. Ezra gave him a shaky smile before returning reverent eyes toward their soon-to-be leaders.

“Team competition is at the heart of Katahdin. You will make your best friends and learn the most crucial life lessons in moments to come. This community can only survive as long as its members remain devoted to its principles,” Michael explained.

“At this time, you will each be initiated into your teams. When your name is called you must stand before us. You will be granted your place and taught the key to your team’s success. Then, you will join your ranks on the appropriate side of the lake,” Liam stated, as he and Michael each took out a scroll.

“Ezra Fell,” the Angel captain called, eyes swiftly landing on the blonde-haired boy next to Crowley. Determinedly, Ezra made his way to stand before his newfound leader, meeting her blue eyes with his own. “Ezra, welcome to the ranks of Katahdin’s Angels. The secret to our success is Heart. Remember this well.”

She drew an A over Ezra’s cheek before ushering him toward the Angels. Suddenly, the night was alight with the whoops and hollers of the Angels, who had broken their rank to welcome their newest member with hugs, slaps on the back, and a blue-beaded bracelet. Once the quiet had settled again, the ritual resumed.

“Anthony Crowley,” the Demon captain yelled out. Swiftly, in a tangle of limbs, Crowley made his way toward the man. “Anthony, welcome to the ranks of Katahdin’s Demons. The secret to our success is Rage. Remember this well.”

Liam quickly drew a D onto Crowley’s cheek, before giving his shoulder a squeeze and pointing him in the direction of his new team. Like the Angels, the Demons broke rank to call Crowley in. Shouting and praising him, while adorning his wrist with a red-beaded bracelet.

This continued on until each of the first-time campers had been initiated onto a team. At the ceremony’s conclusion, Bee and Gabriel faced the entirety of the camp.

“Welcome to a new summer at Camp Katahdin. The initiation tonight marks each one of you as a member of this family,” Gabriel began, eyes lingering over Crowley and Ezra for a long moment.

“You will do well to remember that despite the difference in our teams, we live and learn as one here at Katahdin. Let this be a lesson to you all, while we revel in the spirit of competition, compromise can teach us just as much. Welcome home, we’ll see you at breakfast!” Bee said, tone sage-like up until her brusque dismissal. As the crowd of campers meandered back toward their cabins Ezra and Crowley found their way together.

“That bit with the torches was way cool,” Crowley said with a grin, clearly still jittery from the excitement of the night.

“Totally!” Ezra replied with a smile, fingers toying with the beads of his new bracelet.

“This summer is going to be so wicked. I can’t believe Aunt Bee made me wait so long to come to camp,” Crowley said, a bit of a whine running through his words.

“I know. If Uncle Gabriel told me one more story, I think I would have exploded,” Ezra explained with a giggle.

Now, for a brief lesson in family history. Ezra’s Uncle Gabriel (his father’s brother) and Crowley’s Aunt Bee (his mother’s sister) were business partners here at Camp Katahdin (and also at their law firm back in the city but that’s much less exciting than camp). So, Crowley and Ezra had spent all of their (short) lives hearing about Camp Katahdin from their aunt and uncle and older cousins (Bee’s son Hector and Gabriel’s daughter Ariel, who were both twelve and eager not to be seen with such little kids as Ezra and Crowley).

“Exactly! I have a good feeling about this summer, Angel. Just you wait,” Crowley said with a grin as he took off at a run back toward their cabin, Ezra following in hot pursuit. 

* * *

The Sixteenth Summer (Present Day)

“Ok, so, Newt and Ana are going to help you all finish getting ready for the initiation ceremony,” Ezra explained, tugging a blue sweatshirt over his head.

“But why can’t you take us, Ezra?” Warlock whined from where he stood in front of the bathroom mirror, attempting to paint a legible A on his cheek.   
“Because, you idiot, he and A.J. get to be captains this year. Aren’t I right?” Adam said with a smirk from where he hung from his bunk, red ensemble and slightly splotchy D already in their proper positions.

“Now, I’m not going to go ruining any surprises,” Ezra said with a barely suppressed smile. “And, for goodness sake, Adam don’t speak so unkindly.”

“Ready Ezra?” Crowley called, sticking his head into the cabin. He had been out doing some final prep work for the ceremony. Ezra nodded, bustling out of the room and shooting Ana a sympathetic look as he disappeared.

Adam, Brian, and Wensleydale spoke in soft whispers at the lakefront. The Demons were mostly in formation, but the new campers had yet to arrive.

“I reckon we’ve got to make this summer especially great, since it’s Ezra and A.J.’s last one,” Adam said, glad to see his friends nodding along in agreement. “There’s lots of things we can do to make it memorable for them both, but I say we give team comp stuff an extra go of it, for all us Demons, but mostly for A.J.”

“For A.J.!” Brian and Wensleydale chanted in a whisper before falling into formation beside Adam. The ceremony was about to begin.

“For goodness sake Crowley, how is it that you can’t get the damn thing lit?” Ezra asked in a frantic whisper, holding each torch in exasperation as Crowley fiddled with his fizzling lighter.

“Oh, I’m sorry that I don’t have a backup lighter on my person at all times of the goddamn day, Mr. Boy Scout!” Crowley snapped halfheartedly, managing to coax a little spark from the spluttering lighter. “Come on now, darling, just a little more light.”

With a few more tense minutes of nursing the failing lighter, Crowley and Ezra managed to light their torches and successfully balance themselves in the rickety canoes that awaited them.

“It’s been a long time since we started this, Angel,” Crowley growled under his breath, an undeniable smile etched on his face.

“That it has, you foul fiend,” Ezra replied, a similar expression crossing his features. The two friends shared a mischievous look before schooling their countenances into the solemnity the ceremony required.

“Welcome to Camp Katahdin,” Ezra began in a soft but commanding voice, the night as still and quiet it had been all those years ago.

“You are about to embark on a time-honored tradition that will mark you as a true member of our community,” Crowley explained with similar reverence, the glow of the moon illuminating his face in the half light.

Behind Crowley and Ezra stood all the rest of Camp Katahdin. Things were starting to come full circle.


	3. CHAPTER THREE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This chapter attempts to do a lot so apologies if it's a little all over the place. It's the first day of camp and we get another glimpse into the past.

CHAPTER THREE

The Sixteenth Summer (Present Day)

“Crowley! Crowley, you have to wake up!” Ezra whispered harshly, shaking his companion’s shoulder with increasing roughness. Crowley groaned in response, rubbing the heels of his hands into his golden eyes before shooting Ezra a halfhearted glare. He noticed Ezra was already dressed for the day.

“Good morning to you too, Angel,” Crowley replied, stretching his long form and rubbing carefully at his left thigh. Across the cabin Ana and Newt were each stirring but neither had braved the cool morning air yet. “Time is it?”

“It is already 7:20 so we best get a move on if we want there to be any cinnamon rolls left at breakfast,” Ezra grumbled, pulling the duvet off of Crowley, who hissed in response but swiftly gave up the fight and swung himself out of bed.

Crowley limped stiffly to the bathroom, swinging his hip in wide circles in an attempt to loosen the joint before he completed his morning ablutions. He was somewhat successful and by the time his slid into his brace, shorts, and fleece, Ezra had managed to get all members of cabin six out of bed. The two counselors sat side by side on Crowley’s bed as they slipped on their shoes and socks while their little hellions prepared for the day.

A day at Camp Katahdin went something like this. Everyone would wake up and zombie their way through the morning until they arrived at breakfast. Then, they would all—freshly sugared up—return to their cabins to make the beds, straighten things up, and prepare for the day. They came an hour of team competition, which was a different team sport every day. Then came activities, where each camper would spend a week doing whichever activity they signed up for before rotating into something else the following week. After that was lunch and the two-hour rest period. After everyone was refreshed there was what the camp term “mish mash,” which was really just a block of free time. Most campers were partial to the waterfront during this time, but the truly experienced among them knew these hours were best spent holed up in the arts and crafts building while nursing an ice cream cone.

Following “mish mash” was an early dinner and the daily, camp-wide meeting. Then there was theme night. Each night had a different themed event. We’re talking: western night, nineties night, holidays in July night, water world night, mission impossible night, and who knows what else. After each evening’s festivities it was back to the cabins and into the showers before there was cabin story time and, finally, lights out. Then, they did it all again the next day.

“Alright you lot, gather ‘round,” Crowley called, drawing everyone near his bedside as he shuffled his stack of papers but made no move to get up. “Okie dokie, I have everyone’s schedules for this week. Nothing special happening this week, I’m pretty sure our first lake day is next week but I’ll keep you posted. Remember to memorize your schedules best you can, and no complaining about activities. We’re all here for six weeks, one week of your seventh favorite activity is going to be just fine.”

Crowley and Ezra made quick work of passing out the schedules to their campers and reminding Newt and Ana that during the morning activity period all the counselors in training (CITs as they were commonly known at Katahdin) were to check in with the head office to determine their daily assignment.

“Oh, all of the CIT jobs are so fun. You get to do a bit of everything,” Ezra reminisced, as the troop headed out the door and toward the mess hall.

“Angel, it seems like you’re having a bit of a selective memory because I certainly remember you complaining about all of the sports you had to try and learn,” Crowley said a bit smugly, smiling even wider at Ezra’s glare.

“I was not complaining, Crowley, I was merely stating my dissatisfaction with my thrice weekly assignment to the basketball court when I had much more of a knack for arts and crafts. It’s not a crime to enjoy some diversity in one’s activities, Mr. Rock wall,” Ezra sassed back good naturedly, remembering the many hours Crowley (and because he was such a devoted companion, Ezra as well) spent climbing when he was a camper. 

“Whatever you say, Angel,” Crowley called back, sneaking ahead in the breakfast line and toward the cinnamon rolls, much to Ezra’s chagrin. “So, what activity does everyone have, hmm?”

“I’m going to be in mountain biking!” Brian exclaimed, brilliant smile lighting his eyes.

“And I’m going to be in volleyball,” Pepper explained with a grin, the girl was known to all members of cabin six to be wildly competitive.

“Yeah, and I’m doing leatherworking,” Wensleydale said with a soft but enthused smile.

“I get to do archery!” Warlock claimed, miming the action behind a bow and arrow with no shortage of drama.

“And I’m going to do waterslides,” Adam called, seeming a bit too pleased at the outcome.

“Oh, none of you are with us this week,” Ezra said with a slightly sad smile. Crowley and Ezra were both assigned to the ropes course, much like they had been each summer they had worked at Katahdin. The area included Crowley’s beloved rock wall as well as three levels of ropes courses, two pamper poles, a tandem swing, and a zipline. “Well, we can keep fingers crossed for next week. Crowley and I will certainly still be there.”

* * *

Flashback: The Fourth Summer (Age 10)

“Come on, Crowley! We’re going to be late and it’s only the first day,” Ezra moaned, walking swiftly along they dusty lane but stopping every few feet to wait for his friend. After several lengthy deliberations on the phone throughout the school year, Ezra and Crowley had finalized their list of activities for this year of camp. Their first: the ropes course. In years past they had been considered too young to participate in the high ropes, but now that they’d reached the ripe old age of ten, they were home free. 

Crowley was particularly excited because he had been taking rock climbing lessons back home in his regular life and had developed quite a knack for it. Enough so that he had begged and moaned until Ezra promised to try and conquer his fear of heights by signing up to do the ropes course with Crowley. 

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Crowley called, finally running to catch up with Ezra. “This is going to be so wicked. Promise you’ll do the zipline with me?”

“Oh, Crowley, I don’t know. That seems like it might be kind of scary,” Ezra said softly, looking up at the ropes course looming before him.

“Hey, it’s going to be ok. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. But, all that said, I’m pretty sure Aunt Bee and Gabriel wouldn’t let anything unsafe happen here. They are lawyers after all, and according to my mom that means nothing that’s too fun and dangerous will happen at camp.”

Despite Ezra’s initial hesitation, it wasn’t long before he and Crowley were giggling their way through the easiest level of the course, up logs and across tightropes until they arrived at the zipline platform. With a whoop both boys were sailing across the water, faces bright and screams of joy echoing across the acres they considered home. They both knew that this activity would make an annual reappearance.

* * *

Flashback: The Tenth Summer (Age 16)

“Come on, Ezra, it’ll be way fun. Just like the ropes course, but a little bit more wild,” Crowley said in his most convincing voice.

“Oh, Crowley. I don’t know. You’re a semi-professional rock climber and I only ever do this at camp. It’s hardly the same,” Ezra replied, resolutely ignoring Crowley’s puppy dog eyes.

“Please? Hector got special permission for us and everything. We can just go with him on his day off instead of on our lake day. It’ll be perfect,” Crowley continued.

He had spent the prior almost five weeks trying to convince his cousin Hector, one of the camp’s most senior counselors, to take he and Ezra to the climbing spot, Eden, just off the property. It butted up against a nearby lake and Crowley had spent the past few months analyzing the routes and daydreaming about climbing them. Ezra hadn’t been exaggerating when he called Crowley a semi-professional rock climber. He trained constantly when he was back home and had been in talks with several sponsors about his career. Crowley had been dying to do some more outdoor climbing during the summer months and this was a prime opportunity.

“Fine, fine, I’ll come with you, but I make no promises about doing any actual climbing. I’ve just finally started to feel not terrified in the gym, I don’t know that I’m quite ready for the outside world just yet, I’m afraid,” Ezra answered. Crowley let out a whoop, pulling Ezra into a tight hug.

“Don’t go getting ahead of yourself, Angel. I convinced you do the zipline and think about how much fun that still is. I’ll catch you the climbing bug one of these days,” Crowley said with a wide grin.

It was several days later when Ezra, Crowley, and Hector began their trek toward Eden. The car ride was only about twenty minutes, but the approach hike was four miles and promised to take the better part of two hours. All that said, it was an absolutely stunning day, a smattering of round white clouds casting the occasional shadow over the green landscape and glistening waters. Crowley was practically bouncing down the trail. Of the three of them he was certainly the most experienced, but Hector was a competitive climber at his university and Ezra was no stranger to the climbing wall at Katahdin nor the climbing gym near his home.

Crowley’s enthusiasm seemed infectious and the approach went by quickly. The rocks at Eden were beautiful, a dark basalt that seemed to glimmer in the sunlight. Crowley ran his fingers across the rocks reverently, pale fingers contrasting against the rough coolness of the stone below him. He was up the crags as soon as Ezra could mutter the phrase “belay on.”

“This has been brilliant,” Crowley said tiredly, collapsing against a tree beside Ezra. Hector was busy bouldering one of the trickier routes they had worked on. They had even managed to convince Ezra to give one of the easier climbs a go, much to Crowley’s utter delight.   
“I must agree with you, my dear. This day and this place and these people have been just so lovely. I will even concede that you might know best. I had an awful lot of fun climbing,” Ezra replied, grinning at Crowley’s expression.

“Yeah, well, I never steer you wrong, Angel. Now, I’m going to see if I can convince Hector to give me one last belay before we hike back to camp,” Crowley said, levering himself upright and swinging his helmet back onto his head. Ezra let his eyes fall shut, the bright sun warming his lids pleasantly. Distantly he heard Hector agree to belay Crowley for one last climb and Ezra forced his eyes back open so he could watch his friend.

All things began well. Ezra watched as Crowley scrambled up the rock effortlessly. He was tackling one of the harder routes of the day, but he put the rest of the party to shame. Crowley wound his way upward, slipping up a crack with practiced ease before reaching long limbs across a span of jagged rocks.

“Hector, I’m going to dyno this bit so heads up!” Crowley called from his perch, feeling the rope grow a bit slack as Hector anticipated his leap. Ezra leaned forward. Watching Crowley climb was nearly as exhilarating as doing it himself.

Crowley leapt, fingers reaching for an adjacent slab of rough rock rife with handholds. His hands brushed along the edge, but he was out of reach and scrambling for air. He caught against his harness, the rope taught, and his body suspended over the open air. Until it wasn’t.

Suddenly, the rope, tight against the jagged basalt, snapped. And Crowley fell.

Ezra was frozen as he watched Crowley flail, body cracking sickeningly against the slab.

“Crowley!” Ezra screamed, on his feet and running toward his friend before Hector even realized what happened. Ezra collapsed beside Crowley’s fallen form. The red head was unconscious, a deep crack all but shattering the plastic of his helmet. With a trembling hand Ezra reached out to touch Crowley’s neck, sagging in relief at the pounding pulse just below the skin. “Ok. Ok. Ok.”

Ezra could feel the worried figure of Hector behind him, silent in his observation. Gently, not wanting to worsen anything, Ezra tapped Crowley’s cheek in an attempt to rouse him.

“Crowley. Come on Crowley. I need you to wake up. Now. Right now!” Ezra urged with increasing force and frustration. Heart pounding as his friend began to move beneath him.

“Angel. ‘s that you? M’angel,” Crowley managed to groan. Ezra slipped the broken sunglasses away from Crowley’s face, hissing at the bloody scratches the fragmented frames left in their wake.

“That’s right, Crowley. It’s me. Ezra. Angel. I’m right here. Now, I need you to tell me what hurts so I can help you,” Ezra soothed, forcing his voice to be calm as he unbuckled Crowley’s helmet and slid it away, bringing Crowley’s head to rest against the dirt.

“Ev’rything hurts, Angel. It really hurts,” Crowley moaned, thrashing a bit against the ground.

“I know, my dear. It’s all going to be ok. Just tell me, does your back hurt? Your neck? I want to move you, to make you more comfortable, but not if that’s going to hurt you worse,” Ezra explained. Meanwhile Hector was digging madly through their bags to find any supplies that they might have brought with them.

“N-no. It’s mostly my-my leg. And m-my side,” Crowley breathed out in gasps. “Ngk.”

“Shh, you’re doing great, Crowley. I know it hurts, but you’re going to be ok,” Ezra continued to whisper, turning Crowley onto his back. Crowley called out in pain, going pale and limp before Ezra’s eyes. 

From this angle Ezra could see the cuts that littered Crowley’s exposed skin and the swelling that already surrounded the left side of his chest. But the worst by far was his leg. Crowley’s left leg was hanging loose out of his hip socket, clearly dislocated. His thigh was bent unnaturally and the white of the femur bone was peeking through the skin and oozing blood down Crowley’s pale leg.

Hector, arms full of a ragtag smattering of first aid supplies ran over to his friends only to stop short at the sight of Crowley’s limp figure. He dropped the goods and slapped a hand over his mouth, running back toward the trees only to collapse against the first one gagging and retching and making quick work of returning his lunch.

“You’ll have to hike to the car, call an ambulance and camp, and bring back some medical professionals to help Crowley,” Ezra began once Hector returned, somewhat hesitantly, to Crowley.

“You’re right. You’re the better one to stay and take care of him. And it’d be hours before they sent anyone out here to look for us. I’ll go as fast as I can. Take good care of him,” Hector said grimly, taking in the sight of his injured cousin once again. Ezra nodded in acceptance before turning back to Crowley and stroking the red head’s pale cheek.

“Hector!” Ezra called, tearing himself away from Crowley’s still form as the older boy began to walk away. “Hurry.”


	4. CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

The Sixteenth Summer (Present Day)

“Oi! Warlock! Let’s go!” Crowley called, waving his wayward camper over to the group so they could get in line for lunch.

“Sorry, A.J.,” Warlock said with a mischievous smile that Crowley and Ezra both elected to ignore.

“Alrighty then. So, lunch, rest period, mish mash. Let’s get a move on!” Ezra said, ushering the kids forward and into the line, sticking to the back with Crowley. “Dear me, I always forget just how rough the start of the summer can be.”

“Tell me about it. We’re only one activity and we still had two kids missing, four kids who weren’t supposed to be there at all, and a CIT, and I don’t me to be petty—ok, I do—but a CIT who seemed more afraid of his harness than anyone I’ve ever met,” Crowley drawled, complaining in a loud whisper to Ezra, who nodded in commiseration.

“Oh, are we complaining? I’ve got a good one,” Ana said bouncily, weaving into the lunch line and parking herself next to Crowley. They could see Newt had, unlike Ana, failed to be so graceful in his line-cutting attempt and had instead been banished to the back of the line.

“Oh good, there are always more of these stories the first couple of days. Where did you go and what happened?” Crowley asked, his delight at the chaos causing Ezra to roll his eyes in exasperation. Crowley certainly hadn’t changed.

“Well, first of all, they tried to send me to the dance studio,” Ana remarked dryly, earning a snort from Crowley and a giggle from Ezra. Ana was a notoriously bad dancer and had, as a camper, managed to break both her own arm and a fellow camper’s ankle in a session of jazz dancing. Ever since, she’d been forbidden from entering the studio, which was an arrangement everyone found acceptable. “After I shot that down, they weren’t entirely sure what to do with me, so I lazed around the office sorting mail for about forty-five minutes before someone took pity and sent me off to the waterfront. Which mostly meant I went down waterslides with Adam for an hour.”

“Sounds just like old time eh, Angel? Bee and Gabriel not quite having their shit together by the time summer starts,” Crowley opined, expression in no way muted by his ever-present sunglasses. Ezra made no further commentary, but Crowley wasn’t blind to the other man’s barely-there smile.

Lunch featured the usual array of treats and cabin six made quick work of consuming large quantities of chips, French fries, sweet tea, chicken nuggets, and cookies. Stomachs full and cheeks already flush with sunburn, the bedraggled bunch returned to their cabin and straight into their beds. Ana and Newt had been dispatched to gather the mail and the rest of the cabin’s residents, campers and counselors alike, were making the most of the mandatory rest period that awaited them. Even the ever-eager pair of Adam and Warlock looked heavy-lidded, and they made no protest when the time came for them to clamber into their bunks.

Ezra knew that in the weeks to come they would all (himself included) adjust to the rigors of the camp schedule, but in the meantime, he was all-too excited about the opportunity to nap the afternoon away in the company of his best friend. When they had been campers, he and Crowley both had been quick studies in the art of afternoon resting. While Ezra had always treasured the quiet hours for a spot of reading (currently _The Secret History_ by Donna Tartt for all those curious), Crowley knew that if he was strategic about his afternoon napping he would be chock full of energy for the rest of the day, especially for the hours he might want to spend climbing.

In any case, the time had, as always, been passing quickly when the intercom system began to play the music that signified the start of mish mash.

“A.J, Ezra, will you come with us today? Please?” Adam asked with a whine as he hastily slathered sunscreen across his face, the white lotion streaking across his nose and chin where he hadn’t fully rubbed it in.

“And where might you be requesting us to come?” Crowley asked, still lounging on his bed, looking first to Adam and then to Ezra, who had just emerged from the bathroom.

“We’re going to the waterfront. You have to come. We’ve been waiting all year to go on the blob, and no one can do it better than y’all,” Warlock begged, shooting a pleading look to Ezra (he knew who was the softer of the counselors).

“Well….” Crowley began, putting on a tone of speculation that Ezra was sure meant that the two of them would be going to the blob. “I suppose I could be convinced to spend a little time at the blob. But I can’t speak for Ezra.”

“Oh, alright. I’ll come, too,” Ezra agreed, caving instantaneously once he heard Crowley offer his acquiescence.

It didn’t take long for the whole troop to suit up and make the trek toward the water. Crowley was in the midst of an animated conversation with Adam and Brian about backpacking and cars while Pepper was monopolizing Ezra’s attention to grill him about his upcoming travel plans.

“Ok, ok, I want A.J. to go after me,” Adam yelled, buckling his life jacket as he scrambled up the wooden steps that ran toward the blob. Crowley nodded, accepting his role and the party arranged and rearranged themselves into their preferred order. As they neared the top of the deck Ezra gazed out over the water. The sun was high in the sky and the water glistened beneath it casting a heavenly glare across the horizon. Ezra breathed in deeply, savoring the moment among the chaos.

“Oi! Angel! See you on the other side!” Crowley yelled, leaping off the deck and over the blob, lost in the rays of the midafternoon sunlight.

* * *

Flashback: The Tenth Summer (Age 16)

Ezra watched Hector’s retreating form until he rounded the bend and disappeared from sight. With a steadying breath he returned his attention to Crowley. The red-headed boy was still unconscious, but he moved restlessly and his face was pinched with pain. Ezra certainly had his work cut out for him.

He turned his attention to Crowley’s side which looked painfully inflamed even in the hazy, late-afternoon light. Ezra ran his fingers carefully over the swollen skin, but he didn’t know what he could possibly do to help that problem. Then, he forced himself to look at Crowley’s leg. The bleeding seemed to be stopping, but that did little to improve the limb’s overall appearance.

Using his very, very limited first aid knowledge Ezra managed to tie a strip of gauze into place over the open wound, flinching at the cry of pain it managed to elicit from his still-unconscious friend. Despite his reluctance to leave Crowley’s side, Ezra did a quick survey of the area around them and returned to his injured companion with two branches in his hands, intent on making a splint for Crowley’s wounded leg. With gentle ministrations Ezra tied the branches in place and smoothed Crowley’s hair away from his forehead for the umpteenth time before sitting back on his heels with a sigh.

Ezra took a few deep breaths, trying not to crash in the wake of the adrenaline that had been fueling him. He pulled off his own jacket and spread it over Crowley’s trembling form. Tenderly, Ezra slipped Crowley’s head into his lap, letting his fingers trace over the sweat-slicked features of Crowley’s face.

“Please be ok. Please be ok. I love you. I love you, Crowley, and I need you to be ok,” Ezra whispered desperately, choking back a silent sob as his tears slid from his face and into Crowley’s hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are much loved! Hope y'all enjoyed this week's installment!


	5. CHAPTER FIVE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swimming! Hiking! Drinking! Everyone's favorite angel smoking weed and making s'mores!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for no chapter last week! To make up for it you get an extra long one this week! Kudos and comments are beloved. Enjoy!

CHAPTER FIVE

The Sixteenth Summer (Present Day)

“Ok, so, let me reiterate. On our day off, we do not exist. If you see us, pretend you didn’t. If you have a question for us, write it down and ask it the next day. Am I clear?” Crowley explained to his gaggle of campers.

“Honestly, Crowley, there’s no need to be so rude!” Ezra admonished half-heartedly. “Crowley and I both hope that you all have lovely days and we will see you in a short twenty-four hours.”

“And those twenty-four hours are dwindling, so Ezra and I must be off. Remember to behave for Ana and Newt,” Crowley said, swinging his backpack on and ushering Ezra toward the door, all the while sporting a grin that undercut his harsh words. With a wave the two counselors were on their way.

Crowley took a dramatic inhale, steps bouncing along gleefully while Ezra smiled along in equal delight.   
“The day is ours, Angel. We are child-free, and all that awaits is a day at the lake followed by a night under the stars featuring time-honored traditions such as not-quite-the-cheapest-but-still-very-cheap alcohol and a limited, but still sufficient, supply of weed,” Crowley announced as the two friends rounded the staff cabins and spied Crowley beloved, if a bit beaten up, car.

The red, late-eighties Toyota Land Cruiser (known to Crowley as the Bentley) had seen better days, but nevertheless she was a dedicated servant of Crowley and Ezra’s many misadventures. With practiced ease Ezra swung himself into the passenger seat while Crowley loaded their camping supplies into the back. It wasn’t long before Crowley was revving the engine, blasting Queen, and tearing away from Katahdin like he’d never meant to be there in the first place.

“Honestly Crowley, must you always drive like a madman?” Ezra asked during the lull of a song change, gripping the door handle with white knuckles and knowing his plea would fall on deaf ears.

“Come on, Angel. Speeding a little is part of the fun. Plus, if we don’t hurry we won’t have time to buy all of our usual day-off treats from your preferred locale,” Crowley said with a devilish grin, sunglass-clad eyes never leaving the winding road before him.

“Damn you, Crowley,” Ezra murmured with a furrowed brow, looking resolutely out the window in a rather pitiful attempt at pouting. Crowley knew that the way to Ezra’s heart was through his stomach, and the town near camp happened to have the most precious little grocery store Ezra had ever seen, so he and Crowley had made it part of their day-off tradition to procure all of their provisions there.

With a somewhat gentle slam on the brakes, Crowley pulled into the tight parking lot behind Tadfield Market.

“Alright, Angel. Welcome to your happy place. I’m sure Agnes has missed you oh so terribly,” Crowley jeered good-naturedly as he and Ezra slid out of the car. Agnes was the owner of the market and she and Ezra had become fast friends over a shared love of fine chocolates and cheeses and Bronte novels. Ezra made a point to come and chat the older woman up as much as possible while he was in town.

Ezra ignored Crowley’s teasing as he made his way through the tight aisles of the shop and toward the front register where Agnes usually waited on customers.

“Ezra!” Agnes called out when she spied her acquaintance, pulling the young man into her chest with a tight hug.

“Hello, Agnes! It’s so lovely to see you,” Ezra cooed in response, smiling brightly. “Crowley, come say a proper hello to Agnes.”

“Hiya,” Crowley greeted half-heartedly, only to be left winded by an equally tight hug.

“Oh hello, Anthony! It’s lovely to see you again. And how have you been feeling?” Agnes greeted, giving Crowley a scrutinizing once-over.

“I’ve been fine. Good,” Crowley went so far as to offer, smiling gently in Agnes’ direction.

“Well I for one am glad to hear it. I know Ezra would be terribly upset if you weren’t feeling up to snuff,” she remarked unabashedly, turning back to the blonde man who had been occupying himself with the nearby sample platter.

“Quite right,” Ezra mumbled around a full mouth of food, much to Crowley’s amusement. Swallowing, Ezra began again. “Well, Crowley and I are just here to stock up for our day off.”

“Well, have a look around and get what you boys need. I know they don’t serve much of anything good at your little camp, so make sure you get a taste of everything. I’ll be up front if you need me,” said Agnes as she waved off the boys with a warm smile.

“Come on, Angel. You’re the one who always sets the menu,” Crowley reminded with a teasing smile.

“And thank goodness I do. We both know you couldn’t tell a camembert from a Colby jack,” Ezra replied snootily.

“Ah yes, that may be true, but that’s why I have you, Angel. And, I do in fact know the different between a Cabernet and a Merlot so you can find me choosing tonight’s beverages,” Crowley replied with a little bow as he sauntered toward the large sign that simply read: reds.

By virtue of splitting up to gather their provisions, the boys made quick work of their shopping and with a few more kind words to Agnes they were once again in the car. With practiced ease Crowley swung the Bentley into a parking spot adjacent to a lakefront campsite. Across the water (officially Lake Southampton but known to locals and campers alike as simply Soho) Ezra could make out the craggy formation of rocks that made up Eden. His heart clenched at the sight and with nervous hands he turned toward the task of schlepping the groceries out of the trunk.

“Alright, Angel. Time to take inventory. What’d you buy for us?” Crowley inquired, plopping onto the rudimentary stone bench that separated their campsite from the next one and rubbing absentmindedly at his leg.

“Well, I’ve got a lovely little assortment of meats and cheeses for us to cobble into sandwiches come lunch time. Then, for dinner I’ve got all the goodies we need to make those fancy hamburgers we’ve grown to like. Oh, and, per tradition, s’mores for dessert. I’m not missing anything, am I?” Ezra explained, nervous hands running over each item as he separated the foodstuffs by meal.

“Angel, that all looks scrumptious. Well-done,” Crowley said with a genuine smile, pulling himself upright to grab his supplies from the back of the car.

“And what indulgences have you procured for us on this fine day?” Ezra asked, following Crowley back to the bench with a raised brow.

“Well, I’ve got beer to start. Thought this new IPA from that brewery we’ve been to in Portland looked particularly good. Then, with dinner, a Washington Cab picked from not-the-lowest shelf at Tadfield, thank you very much. And, for dessert, as it were, our favorite temptation: a little hybrid joint for our smoking pleasure,” Crowley recited, showing each item to Ezra as he unpacked the worn backpack that held all of the goods. “Now, would you give me a hand with the tent so the last of our chores is done with?”  
Ezra nodded in acquiescence and he and Crowley began the familiar process of setting up camp. For all of his blasé attitude, Crowley was meticulous when it came to have everything pristine and in order. The boys moved in an easy cadence, working with a well-practiced ease. They had opted to set up the tent but left the rainfly off in the hopes that they wouldn’t be needing it on the supposedly clear night. That said, the rainfly was in the comfort of Crowley’s car as they had learned the hard way that it always behooved them to pack it along just in case. In short order their sleeping bags were situated inside and their kitchen (otherwise known as the grill that came with the campsite the requisite supplies to get it going) was up and running.

Their chores finished, Ezra and Crowley made quick work of changing into their swim trunks and splashing their way into the frigid lake water.

“Ngk!” Crowley muttered, teeth chattering and red hair plastered across his face as he came up for air after his initial dunk. “How is it that I always forget how bloody cold this water is?”

“It’s hard to say, dear. But you do always get back in. Not sure what that says about how smart your choices are,” Ezra replied with a teasing smile, splashing water in his friend’s direction.

“Oi, that’s it with you and your sass!” Crowley said with a wild grin, leaping onto Ezra and pushing the other man under the cold water. The boys tussled in the water for a while, before swimming over to some nearby rocks and making a daring contest of leaping off them and into the inky depths of the lake water. Despite Ezra’s risk-averse nature he and Crowley both found themselves shrieking with that enviable mix of terror and delight after each jump.

Soaking wet and already exhausted, the boys made the short swim back to camp and toward the lunch supplies. Ezra painstakingly prepared sandwiches of arugula, goat cheese, pepper jelly, and hard salami, while Crowley cracked open beers and laid out towels in the stark sunlight.

“Thanks, Angel,” Crowley remarked, accepting the meal his friend had prepared and swapping him a drink. They laid there in quiet contemplation, making quick work of the food and teetering on the edge of sleep in the warm sunlight.

“So, Angel, did you want to go on a hike before sunset?” Crowley asked, levering himself upright and turning to look at his companion.

“Oh, that does sound awfully nice. Up the hill to the old farm?” Ezra asked, a hint of pleading that Crowley could in no way refuse lighting up his face.

“Sounds perfect. Let’s change and get a move on so we’ll have plenty of daylight to cook,” Crowley urged, forcing himself upright and giving Ezra a hand to do the same. Before long the two boys were plodding their way up a series of gently gradated switchbacks.

“So, Angel, where are you most looking forward to going this fall?” Crowley asked, shooting a questioning glance behind him at Ezra.

“Hmm, that’s certainly a tough question. There are just so many places I’d like to see, especially all the ones I’ve read about. In a certain way I feel like I’ve already visited some of them, but I think it’ll be much better to go in person. Well, I dare say I’m probably most looking forward to visiting London. I’m sure some of that has to do with it being the first locale of my European travels, but even then, I just think it’s such a wonderful city and I haven’t been in so long. I’m quite sure I’ll fall in love with it,” Ezra explained, his long-winded answer in no way surprising Crowley. “And you, Crowley? Are you getting excited about your travels? Wherever they may be taking you?”  
“Oh yeah. I mean, I’ve certainly got some planning to do, but I know that there’s nothing I want more than to just put my feet on the ground and get walking. The best way to learn anything about anything is to see it first-hand, so I’m looking forward to that. And to figuring out some other things, too,” Crowley replied warmly.

“Like what? What else do you hope to figure out?” Ezra asked, eyes glued to his feet as they traversed a log across a slow-moving creek.

“Well, somewhere in here I’d like to get a sense of what I might do with my life. As it stands, I don’t really have much of an idea, not like you do anyway,” Crowley said a bit sheepishly.

“Yes, well. Sometimes allegedly having things figured out makes everything else all the more complicated,” Ezra explained a bit cryptically, glad he was saved from elaborating as they rounded the corner to their destination.

Before them lay an open field of what was once farmland, but that had laid fallow for what seemed to be decades. According to Agnes, the farmer that had once tended the land grew almost exclusively lavender. In the subsequent years the purplish herb had run amok, and the field had been transformed into an overgrown sea of the fragrant plant. There was no place on the Earth that Crowley or Ezra liked better than their secret little spot.

As if he owned the place, Crowley sauntered over to the worn set of rope swings that he and Ezra had tied up themselves when they had first found this place. He sank into the seat with a sigh of relief, sipping at the beer he had stowed away in his fleece pocket and gesturing at Ezra to join him.

“I must say, Crowley, this place never does get old,” Ezra remarked with a contented sigh, sipping at his own drink and taking in the lavender, trees, and water that weaved together in the tableau before him.

“I’ll certainly drink to that,” Crowley replied with a snort, toeing his shoes in the dirt beneath him.

“Remember when we first found this place? We’ll have to remember to thank Agnes for the millionth time for recommending it to us,” Ezra murmured, tone undeniably nostalgic.

“Yeah, it’s always a sight for sore eyes, but I don’t know that we’ll ever beat our first glimpse of this place,” Crowley remarked, similarly transfixed.

* * *

Flashback: The Twelfth Summer (Age 18)

“Alright, so, being a CIT is a fuck-ton more work than just being a camper, but it does mean we finally get to have a day off! All ours! And, Aunt Bee let me bring my car so we can go wherever we want!” Crowley whispered excitedly to Ezra as the two of them schlepped several large containers full of water guns for that evening’s activity.

“Well, I certainly don’t disagree with your assessment,” Ezra replied, shooting a dirty look at the boxes he was currently carrying. “What if we went on that hike Agnes was telling us about? Up the hill over the lake?”

“Ooh, that does sound nice. We could camp, if you want? I have all the stuff. Plus, I’m sure with relatively minimal effort I could procure some contraband to enhance our evening,” Crowley said with a devilish smirk.

“Oh Crowley, I don’t know. I don’t want us to get into any trouble. But I do think it would be nice to camp out, maybe over by the lake,” Ezra replied nervously.

“Angel, you’ve got to live a little. We’re going off to college, don’t tell me you’re not planning on occasionally partaking in the party scene?” Crowley asked rhetorically, heaving down his boxes with a dramatic sigh.

“Fine, fine. If you feel like you know an acceptable source, I won’t say no to whatever you suggest,” Ezra said resignedly.

\---

“How much further, Angel? Are you sure Agnes gave you the right directions?” Crowley asked, a bit of a whine making itself evident in his voice and a bit of a limp making itself evident in his saunter.   
“It should just be over this creek and around the next bend. A quarter of a mile or so,” Ezra called back, glancing down at the handwritten directions the older woman had given him.

“You better be right, Angel, the beer’s going to get warm if we have to go much further,” Crowley grumbled, coming up beside his friend.

Together they traversed the last bit of the trail and both stopped short when they finally emerged from the trees. The lavender farm that Agnes had oohed and ahhed about was finally before them, and it was even more splendid than she had described.

“I’ll have to count this one as a victory for Agnes,” Crowley whispered in quiet reverence. The vista before them was made up of the lush lavender at their feet, the verdant trees that composed the hillside, the craggy rocks of the lakefront, and the almost-translucent water of Soho.

“Yes, I think I’m inclined to agree with you, Crowley,” Ezra replied in a similarly infatuated tone. Wordlessly Crowley cracked open two cans of PBR, handing one to Ezra.

“Well, here’s to our first of many days off. May they all be so nice,” Crowley stated, raising the can to clink it with his friend’s, identical grins on each of their faces. 

* * *

The Sixteenth Summer (Present Day) 

The walk back down to the lake was never quite as exciting as the one up, but nevertheless Crowley and Ezra made easy conversation as the sun continued to sink in the sky. They made quick work of dinner and before long they were wine-drunk and wool-sock clad by the fireside.

“D’you know Angel, I’m not sure there’s any place as nice as this in the whole world,” Crowley slurred confidently, taking a long hit from the joint that he and Ezra had been trading back and forth for the better part of the last half hour. Sometime since their return to camp Crowley had shed his sunglasses in favor of a headlamp in order to facilitate actually seeing.

“You might be right, dear boy. But I daresay we have to go see the other places to make that sort of judgment,” Ezra replied warmly, chasing his own inhale with a carefully curated s’more.   
“I dunno about that,” Crowley said, voice a tad too loud for the quiet of the night, “’Cause no other place has you.”

Ezra’s panicked blue eyes met Crowley’s warm gold ones and the only noise between them was the crackling of the fire and the gentle ebb and flow of the lake.


	6. CHAPTER SIX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm sorry I've been so absent! Between school and break and online classes, things have been wild. Please enjoy a wounded snek boi to make up for it!

CHAPTER SIX

Flashback: The Tenth Summer (Age 16)

After the better part of ten minutes Ezra managed to quell his weeping. With still-shaky fingers he wiped roughly at his cheeks, mentally chastising himself for getting so emotional when Crowley clearly needed him to keep a level-head. With renewed focus Ezra began to tap gently at Crowley’s cheek.

“Come on Crowley, dear. Time to wake up now,” Ezra cooed softly, willing the desperation from his tone as best he could considering just how desperate he was. Beneath him Crowley groaned and thrashed listlessly, but still did not wake. “This is no time for sleeping in, Crowley. Come on.”

Ezra had never known such relief as glimpsing the bleary, honey-colored eyes of his best friend.

“Oh. Welcome back, dear,” Ezra whispered breathlessly, carding his fingers through Crowley’s auburn curls and sweeping the matted strands off of his companion’s clammy forehead.

“’Lo,” Crowley managed in reply, a grimace settling over his features and his eyes fluttering shut.

“Ah, ah, ah. Eyes open please, love. You’ve slept as much as you can for now,” Ezra whispered, fingers still ghosting across Crowley’s face.

“Mm…Ezra, it hurts,” Crowley said with a moan, his squinted eyes meeting Ezra’s red-rimmed ones.

“I know, dear boy. Hector’s gone to get help and he shouldn’t be gone long. Until then I’m afraid it’s just you and me,” Ezra explained, forcing a smile.

“That’s, uh, that’s good I guess,” Crowley managed to reply, breath a bit ragged.

“Is there anything I can do to help you? I’m afraid I’ve administered all the first aid I’m capable of,” Ezra asked, nervously wringing his hands.

“Just…just stay,” Crowley replied, grasping Ezra’s wrist with surprising strength.

“Of course, my dear. I’ll be right here with you,” Ezra cooed in response, tangling his fingers with Crowley’s while resting his free hand on Crowley’s brow.

“And, uh, will you…will you tell me a story?” Crowley asked, a bit of a whine coming through his whispered words. Ezra laughed breathily at the request. Finally, a task he could capably complete

“Yes, Crowley, I can tell you a story. Is there anything in particular you’d like to hear?” Ezra asked, a melancholy sweetness to his tone.

“Ngk. Sur-surprise me, Angel,” Crowley replied, attempting a chuckle but only achieving more of a groan.

“Alright, dear. Now, if you want me to tell this story I’m going to need you to promise me two things. First, you must stay awake and keep your eyes open. I’ll be much too worried to speak if you don’t do that. And second, if you need anything you must tell me. I know we don’t have much in the way of supplies and I know you’re hurting, but if there’s anything at all I can do, I implore you to share it with me. Okay, are we on the same page then, dear?” Ezra asked, keeping his tone lighthearted as he leveled a serious look at Crowley. Crowley nodded softly in reply, forcing his eyes open a bit wider and clutching Ezra’s hand a bit tighter. “Very well, then. Hmm, I suppose I could start by telling you about the myth of Icarus. I suppose you’ve probably heard of this one, but it always makes for a compelling tale.”

***

Ezra’s voice had gone hoarse and Crowley’s grip increasingly lax by the time they heard the shouts. Amid the echoing cries Ezra could make out what sounded like his own name, as well as Crowley’s, and the word “help.” Ezra exhaled a breath he didn’t know he had and felt tears prick at his eyes. The relief hit like a punch to the gut.

“Do you hear that Crowley? Hector’s brought help. Everything’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay,” Ezra explained, cupping Crowley’s face with his hand.

“’S good news, Angel. ‘M glad to hear it,” Crowley murmured in reply, managing a small smile that sent Ezra beaming.

“That it is, indeed, my dear boy!” Ezra exclaimed, keen eyes looking for the emergence of their rescuers. The two boys waited in heavy silence. Ezra was fidgety with anticipation, while  
Crowley had gone nearly boneless in the other boy’s lap, relieved by the promise of help and painkillers. They only had to wait a moment longer before a pair of paramedics, led by a bedraggled looking Hector, burst through an opening in the brush. Gabriel emerged a moment later, breathless and rumpled and clearly distraught by the situation laid out before him.

“Thank God,” Ezra whispered to himself and Crowley, reasserting his grip on Crowley’s hand as the medics approached. “I’m going to be right here with you, Crowley. I promise. I’m not leaving, I swear it.”

“Can you tell me about his injuries?” the first paramedic, a small woman with a gentle voice, asked Ezra.

“He, um, he fell from the rocks. Maybe twenty-five feet up. And, well, Crowley, uh, Anthony, that is. I think he hit his head, but he was wearing a helmet, but it, well, it cracked. And, he hit his side, just here, by his ribs on the left. And his leg. I uh, suppose you see that bit. I think, I think that’s it. That’s what, he, uh, said was hurting him. I wasn’t, I mean to say, I didn’t really know what to, uh, to do. But he’s been conscious almost the whole time. And in a lot of pain. Dear me, that’s been the worst part, but uh, yes,” Ezra stumbled through his reply, words coming faster and clumsier as he tried to explain what had happened.

“Okay, thank you for explaining everything to us. We can take it from here. I’m going to need you to let go now. You have to let him go,” she explained, placing a gloved hand on Ezra’s wrist.

“But, I-I promised him I wouldn’t leave. I can’t-can’t go now,” Ezra responded rather wretchedly, tears immediately spilling over onto his sun-reddened cheeks.

“You don’t have to go. You can stay right over here, and walk back with us, and ride to the hospital. But right now, you have to let go of his hand, ok?” the paramedic said, carefully pulling Ezra’s hand out of Crowley’s weak grip.

“Angel?” Crowley murmured, tone ragged and brow scrunched in pain as both paramedics worked on the worst of his injuries.

“I’m just over here Crowley. I’m not leaving, I-I promise. I’ve just got to let the medics do their work, but I’m still right here, ok?” Ezra answered, forcing some stability into his voice.

“’Kay,” Crowley acquiesced, falling limply into the hands of the paramedics.

“Ezra,” Gabriel said softly, pulling his nephew into a firm, if slightly awkward, hug. Ezra couldn’t bring himself to care and he grasped tight at the older man, sobs ripping, suddenly and painfully, from his throat. From his other side he could feel Hector’s arm around his shoulders. The three men remained in such a pose for a long moment, offering some semblance of consolation in that strange and unbearable moment.

It seemed like the medics worked on Crowley for ages, and Ezra couldn’t bring himself to watch their ministrations. Instead he forced himself to take deep breaths and look unwaveringly at the lake and forest that lay before him. Finally, mercifully, the medics had treated Crowley’s injuries, dosed him with pain meds, and strapped him to a gurney. Now, the journey back to the main road and the hospital lay before them.

For Ezra the hike passed in a blur and upon retrospection he could hardly remember a moment of it. All he could recall was Gabriel’s warm, heavy hand grounding him in the moment and ushering him down the path behind Crowley’s still form. True to their promise the paramedics let Ezra ride in the ambulance with the unconscious Crowley. Meanwhile Gabriel followed in his own car and Hector drove the Bentley back to camp.

Upon arrival at the hospital Crowley was whisked away and Ezra was frog-marched into the waiting room where he, true to the room’s name, waited for news about Crowley. Meanwhile Gabriel and Bee (whose convertible had whipped into the parking lot just behind the ambulance) flitted in and out, sometimes on the phone, sometimes filling out paperwork, sometimes worriedly waiting beside Ezra, sometimes passing around lukewarm coffee and stale pastries. Finally, after what seemed like days but was only a few hours, a doctor appeared with an update for the motley crew.

“Are you the family of Anthony Crowley?” a young man in scrubs asked, taking in the sight before him. Ezra had managed to secure a scratchy hospital blanket but had not managed to clean off any of the (considerable) dust and blood that littered his face and hands. Meanwhile, the usually pristine-looking Gabriel had reached unprecedented levels of rumpled and Bee, usually an aloof and blasé figure, had worried her nails down to stubs and smelled distinctly like cigarette smoke. They nodded emphatically in response to the doctor’s inquiry.

“Well, I just wanted to give you all an update on his condition. He’s just come out of surgery and is doing well. Everything went as best as we could have hoped, especially considering the circumstances,” the doctor explained, watching the visible relief hit each of the individuals before him.

“And his injuries? What were they exactly?” Bee asked, the first to find her voice and managing something akin to her usual tone.

“Yes, Mr. Crowley’s injuries. They were quite serious; I do want to stress that to you. But, as I mentioned, he is already on the mend,” the doctor began, forcing a neutral smile before flipping through the chart in front of him. “Mr. Crowley sustained a mild concussion. We took a CT scan, which was clear, and we’re going to continue monitoring the injury for the next twenty-four hours. Additionally, Mr. Crowley was wounded on the abdomen. He suffered three broken ribs and a small tear in his spleen. Those injuries have been fully repaired surgically and should cause Mr. Crowley no further problems. Finally, there is the issue of Mr. Crowley’s leg, which was the most severe of his injuries. His hip joint was dislocated but has been surgically reduced. There was some associated soft tissue damage which we believe we have fully repaired, but that will be a concern in follow up examinations. Mr. Crowley also fractured the iliac wing, which is the crest of the pelvis. Additionally, there was a compound fracture to the femur, or thigh bone. That fracture has been surgically reduced and internally fixated with the appropriate hardware,” the doctor explained, running down the laundry list of wounds with practiced ease. Ezra, Gabriel, and Bee were silent. “I know this must be overwhelming, but Mr. Crowley is likely to make a complete and relatively swift recovery. Based on the situation described, things could have been much worse—”

“Can we see him? Crowley, I mean. Can I go see him?” Ezra asked, cutting off the doctor and moving to stand.

“Well, uh, they should have moved him from recovery to his room in the ICU. I’m afraid there’s a strict two visitor rule, but, uh, yes you should be able to go sit with him. It will be a few hours before the anesthesia wears off, and it’ll probably be a day or two before he’ll be lucid enough to really talk,” the doctor explained a bit awkwardly, softening nonetheless at Ezra’s desperation.

Silently the doctor led Gabriel, Bee, and Ezra through the labyrinthine hallways of the emergency room and into the bleached white stillness of the ICU. Bee and Gabriel found their seats in the latest waiting room, knowing better than to stop Ezra on his way to Crowley’s bedside.

“Alright, he’s just through there. He’ll be hooked up to some machines, but he’s breathing on his own. And he looks a little worse for wear what with all the bandages and braces and such. But, all that said, you should feel free to reach out to him, hold his hand, talk to him,” the doctor said, clapping Ezra on the shoulder a bit awkwardly before disappearing down the hallway.

Ezra took a deep breath. And then another. And then another. And walked into Crowley’s room.


End file.
